The Darß forest is the wildest piece of woodland on the German Baltic coast, and the road that skirts its edge between Born and Prerow runs along the border of a landscape that has been left largely to itself. The Darß Urwald, as it is called, is a mix of beech, alder, pine and birch growing on old dune ridges and wet hollows, where fallen trunks are left to rot and the undergrowth is thick with fern. It belongs to the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park, and walkers follow marked paths among trees draped in moss.
Near the sea the trees take a strange shape. On the western beach, wind and salt have bent the trees into low, windswept forms called Windflüchter, a fleeing-from-the-wind effect that gives the shore its look, and the forest edge appears to lean away from the water as if in flight. At the northern tip, Darßer Ort, a lighthouse and a nature centre mark the end of the peninsula, a place of drifting sand and sea birds.
In autumn the whole area becomes a stage for one of the great sights of northern Europe. Thousands of common cranes gather in the shallow lagoons of the Bodden during their migration south, and their calls carry across the water at dawn and dusk. Zingst, at the eastern end of the peninsula, holds a crane festival every October, and the sight of long lines of grey birds against a red sunset is unforgettable.
The road itself is narrow, lined by trees, with a surface that is generally good but bumpy in places from tree roots. Speed limits are low, wildlife crossing is a real concern, especially deer at dusk, and the traffic in summer can be dense, with cyclists and families heading for the beaches. A calm, careful ride is the way to enjoy it, and the shade of the forest is welcome on a hot day.
Prerow, a short distance away, is a small seaside village with a lovely sailors' church hung with model ships, and a few cafes. Fuel is scarce on the peninsula, and Barth, the nearest town of any size, is about fifteen kilometres away, so fill the tank before you come. Spring and autumn are the best times, when the crowds are thin and the light is clear.